LOUISVILLE, Ky. – It’s hard to get about 150,000 people to go from a full-throated roar to library-like quiet. But for a smattering of those who perhaps play blackjack and like the number 21, or, especially, those connected with a heretofore unknown colt named Rich Strike, Churchill Downs, back with a full house after two years of racing under restrictions, fell into mostly stunned silence following the 148th Kentucky Derby on Saturday. A return to normal? Not on the racetrack.

21   Rich Strike – $163.60 / $74.20 / $29.40 

3   Epicenter – $7.40 / $5.20

10   Zandon – $5.60 

13   Simplification

1   Mo Donegal

$2 Exacta (21-3) – $4,101.20

50-cent Trifecta (21-3-10) – $7,435.35

$1 Superfecta (21-3-10-13-1) – $321,500.10

$2 Double (10/21) – $2,729.80

50-cent pick three (3/10/21) – $1,612.20

50-cent pick four (9/3,8/10/21) – $25,834.75

50-cent pick five (5/9/3,8/10/21) – $247,215.65

20-cent pick six (5,7/5/9/3,9/10/21) – $161,630.86

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – We’re eight races into this Kentucky Derby card and have just seen Obligatory blast last to first to win the Derby City Distaff, her first Grade 1.  

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Fresh off his victory aboard Secret Oath in the Kentucky Oaks, jockey Luis Saez was set on Saturday at Churchill Downs to try and sweep both that race and the Kentucky Derby, a feat that has been accomplished twice in the past 12 years, but officially just once.

Try to name reliable classic lines in the United States, and a couple immediately come to mind: Kentucky Derby winner Unbridled, who has founded a strong branch of the family tree for his grandsire, the prolific Mr. Prospector, and Belmont Stakes winner A.P. Indy, who represents Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew’s branch of the Bold Ruler line. Both are solidly represented in a Kentucky Derby field that is extremely hard to pick apart on pedigree.

Epicenter and Taiba were vying for favoritism in early Kentucky Derby betting as of 7:30 p.m. Friday.  

Epicenter and Taiba both were 5-1, while Messier and Mo Donegal were 7-1 and morning-line favorite Zandon was 8-1.

Wagers on the Kentucky Oaks-Kentucky Derby double will pay the following for a $1 bet.

Kentucky Oaks winner Secret Oath (No. 1, $10.80) with:

1 Mo Donegal – $51

2 Happy Jack – $622

3 Epicenter – $25

4 Summer Is Tomorrow – $511

5 Smile Happy – $97

6 Messier – $40

7 Crown Pride – $96

8 Charge It – $67

9 Tiz the Bomb – $238

10 Zandon – $36

11 Pioneer of Medina – $534

12 Taiba – $32

13 Simplification – $201

14 Barber Road – $329

15 White Abarrio – $79

LOUISVILLE, Ky.– Loves Only You surged late, overtook favored War Like Goddess, and won the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf last Nov. 6 at Del Mar. Her victory marked a breakthrough, the first for a Japanese horse in a Breeders’ Cup race. That happened at 2 o’clock. Two hours later, Marche Lorraine, a 50-1 shot, held on by a nose to capture the Breeders’ Cup Distaff. Make that two Breeders’ Cup wins for Japan – in one day.

Five weeks later in Hong Kong, Loves Only You won the Group 1 Hong Kong Cup and another Japanese horse, Glory Vase, won the Group 1 Hong Kong Vase.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – There are many ways to approach your first Kentucky Derby.

Jockey Reylu Gutierrez didn’t have much time to dwell on it, spending a busy month of April riding at Keeneland before moving his tack to Churchill Downs for the current meet. The philosophy of the jockey, 26, is to keep his focus on each horse he gets on, and do his homework for each one.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Scratch time for the Kentucky Derby and Oaks arrived Friday at 9 a.m. Eastern at Churchill Downs with the 11th-hour defection of Ethereal Road from the Derby, allowing Rich Strike (No. 21) to fill his spot in post position 20. Rattle N Roll (No. 22), the other also-eligible, also is scratched.

Kentucky chief steward Barbara Borden said trainer D. Wayne Lukas phoned the scratch of Ethereal Road into the Churchill racing office and that the colt was not scratched by the state veterinarian.